By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A new 5-year agreement for the Whitewater Aquatic Center has been forged between the City of Whitewater and the Whitewater Unified School District. A series of changes are planned, including making WAC staffers city employees, rather than persons working for an autonomous board.
The agreement, which kicks in at the beginning of 2017, was approved in a joint meeting Jan. 19 between the Common Council and the WUSD School Board.
The city and school district will continue their longstanding cooperative agreement for the WAC, with each contributing $50,000 annually toward capital expenses to address aging infrastructure and each chipping in $156,000 annually toward general facility operations.
“It is important to note that the hours of operation, entrance fees and membership fees will not change as a result of this agreement,” Matt Amundson, parks and recreation director, said in a memo. “No real increase in operational cost for the facility is anticipated.”
The changes taking place are in operational oversight, which will shift from the independent WAC Board to the city’s Park Board. For the first time, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department will handle day-to-day operations of the WAC, which first opened its doors to the community in 2001.
Although it will not hold the weight it once did, there will still be an independent WAC Board, and the composition of its membership will change through the new agreement. It will include two school district representatives, one member of the Common Council, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater representative and three community members.
There was widespread support toward the new agreement between both governing bodies. At last week’s meeting, the WUSD School Board passed the document on a 6-0 vote, while the Common Council adopted it on a 5-1 vote.
Neither School Board member Gretchen Torres nor council member James Langnes III were able to attend the meeting. Council member Stephanie Goettl cast the dissenting vote.
